Much ado about Romeo and Juliet
by SSJRyo1000
Summary: Essay comparing Much ado About Nothing and Romeo and Juliet.


Is it possible for a humorous drama to resemble a tragic one? William Shakespeare did just that in his comedy Much Ado About Nothing and tragedy Romeo and Juliet, where although the story lines were quite contrary, their ideas and morals were really identical. While Much Ado About Nothing is the story of how treachery and confusion can be humorous, Romeo and Juliet is a tearjerker that shows how two feuding families indirectly kill their children. Friends, who were jesters, helped stop the antagonists' evil scheme, which involved the use of nurses, causing parties to fake a child's death! Many situations in life are related to each other, just in subtle ways. Mercutio, Romeo's best friend, and Benedict of Pauda, a friend of Don Pedro both cracked jokes and bring wit to their dramas, but Mercutio wished for everyone to laugh with him, while Benedict wanted to insult his enemy/love Beatrice. Out in the streets of Verona, Tybalt accused Mercutio of "consorting" with Romeo, and Mercutio responds with humor. "Consort! What, dost thou make us minstrels? And thou make 40 minstrels of us, look to hear nothing but discords: here's my fiddlestick; here's that shall make you dance. Zounds, consort!" (III, i, 40-43.) Raging, he does not insult Tybalt, but rather playfully challenges him. Secondly, Tybalt calls Romeo and servant, and Mercutio once again goes for the laughs! "But I'll be hanged, sir, if he wear your livery! Marry, go before to field, he'll be your follower; your worship in that sense may call him man." (III, I, 50- 53.) Merely using clever dialogue, Mercutio attacked Tybalt. Contrarily, Benedict rushed to offend Beatrice. "I would my horse had the speed of your tongue; and so good a continuer." (I, i, 111-112.) Obviously, as shown here and in the other fights, Benedict seemed to want to insult Beatrice. "She speaks poniards, and every word stabs; if her breath were as terrible as her terminations, there were no living near her; she would infect to the North Star." (II, i, 214-217.) Although both kinds of humor are funny, Mercutio wants to be laughed at while Benedict endeavors to triumph in his quarrel with Beatrice. Both of these characters, despite their humorous qualities, helped their friends when enemies sought to wreck their plans. Despite the fact that in both novels an enemy seeks to humiliate the protagonist, the conditions of which the crimes were committed are unique. Count Don Jon, the jealous brother of the noble prince Don Pedro, hatched a scheme to make the young Hero, the daughter of Leonato, seem like a whore, in order to humiliate Claudio and Don Pedro, whom he despised. "(I) Had rather be a canker in a hedge than a rose in his grace," fumes Don Jon over his brother (I, iii, 25-26.). Probably, Don Jon was frustrated over the fact that his benevolent brother received the title of prince and that Don Pedro's offspring will become the next ruler. Or, he could have disliked the popularity of his brother. In order to exact revenge, Count Don Jon, along with Borachio, conjure a strategy to make the innocent Hero seem like a whore by having Borachio have sex with Hero's nurse Margaret, and Borachio would position himself in front of a window with Margaret's back turned so she would look like Hero. Fortunately for Don Pedro and his entourage, Borachio is caught and confesses all. " . . .Don John your brother incensed me to slander the Lady Hero; how you were brought into the orchard, and saw me court Margaret in Hero's garments; how you disgraced her, when you should marry her," (V, i, 247-250.). Luckily, the sheriff and his men caught Borachio and eventually Don Jon as well, but if they hadn't, the entire play would have probably become a tragic story, instead of a comedy. Unlike that, in Romeo and Juliet, the villain Tybalt, a Capulet and a relative of Juliet, was furious with Romeo for crashing his family's ball. Enraged that Romeo crashed his family's party, Tybalt craves revenge. However, he desired revenge not because he dislikes Romeo, but because he is sticking up for his family. "This, by his voice, should be a Montague . . .what, dares the slave. Come hither, covered with an antic face . . .Now, by the stock and honor of my kin, to strike him dead I hold it not a sin," (I, iiiii, lines 62-67.). Only because Romeo invaded his privacy does an irate Tybalt wish to fight him. Otherwise, Tybalt would probably not loathe Romeo any more than he disgusted the other Montagues. Even when Tybalt encountered Romeo, he did not know of Juliet's marriage to Romeo. " . . .I see thou knowest me not," says Romeo (III, I, 55-58.). Maybe, Tybalt would not have persisted to attack Romeo if he had learnt of his secret marriage. Unfortunately for Tybalt, he did not realize him attacking Romeo will not only get himself slain, it will also make his fair cousin die. "And for that offence (of killing Tybalt), immediately we do exile him (Romeo_ hence," announces the prince (III, I, 187-188.). Unknowingly, Tybalt indirectly killed Juliet, because Romeo's banishment led to a broken Juliet committing suicide. Although it will never be known if Tybalt would have cared, the results of his actions were far different than those of Don Jon's. For the purposes of vengeance, Don Jon initiated his plan to disgrace Don Jon and Hero, fully knowing the consequences of his actions, while Tybalt knew nothing of the elopement of Romeo and Juliet. Additionally, Don Jon's plan failed, while Tybalt's actions resulted in a horrible misfortune. Still, Tybalt and Don Jon played parts in making their dramas compelling and interesting, and their parts combined with the nurses to create the plot line. While the nurse in Romeo and Juliet was opposed to a marriage of Romeo and Juliet and the nurse in Much Ado About Nothing was part of the scheme on Hero, both nurses meant well. "Hie you to church; I must another way, to fetch a ladder, by the which your love must climb a bird's nest soon when it is dark." (II, iiiii, 74-75.) Facing the possible punishment from her master, the Nurse still agreed help Romeo meet Juliet. "Hie to your chamber: I'll find Romeo to comfort you: I wot well where he is. Hark ye, your Romeo will be here at night. I'll to him; he is hid at Laurence' cell." (III, ii, 141-145.) Soon after the death of Tybalt, her friend, the nurse still was willing to bring Juliet and Romeo together. Likewise, Margaret only wanted the best for her child. "By my troth, it's but a night- gown in respect of yours. 15 Cloth of gold, and cuts, and laced with silver, set with pearls down sleeves, side-sleeves, and skirts, round underborne with a bluish tinsel. But for a fine, quaint, graceful, and excellent fashion, yours is worth ten on't." (III, iiii, 15-19.) She showed her eagerness to get Hero married by selecting a dress for her. "Is not marriage honorable in a beggar? Is not your lord honorable without marriage?" (III, iiii, 23-25.) Completing Hero, she tells her that marriage will bring her honor. Later, the nurse in Romeo and Juliet attempt to persuade Juliet to marry county Paris while Margaret inadvertently plays a part in the faking of Hero's loyalty. Still, they wanted the best for the child, and were vital parts in the drama providing to the plot, the theme, and a tragedy. In fact, these characters played big parts in the various schemes plotted to bring lovers together. Even though the scheme in Romeo and Juliet failed while the plan in Much Ado About Nothing worked, both try to help teens in love and both try to fake death to do it. Insouciant Claudio, in Much Ado About Nothing, fell in love with Hero, and Don Pedro promised to wed Hero to Claudio. "If thou dost love fair Hero, cherish it, and I will break with her and with her father, and thou shalt have her . . .?"(I, i, 262-263.). Helping Claudio, who had fallen in love with Hero, Don Pedro wished to see Claudio happy and would have Hero marry him. Following the plan of Don Jon and Borachio, Friar Francis cooked up an idea to make Claudio regain his love for Hero by faking her death. "Pause awhile, and let my counsel sway you in this case. Your daughter here the princes left for dead; let her awhile be secretly kept in, and publish it that she is dead indeed; maintain a mourning ostentation"(IV, i, 211-215.). Presumably, the friar theorized that if Claudio felt that he was responsible for the decease of Hero, he would eventually realize he had falsely accused her. Likewise, in Romeo and Juliet, Friar Lawrence concedes to marry Romeo and Juliet in the hope that their union will end their parents belligerent arguing. " . . .For this alliance may so happy prove, to turn your households' rancor to pure love"(II, iii, 94-95.). Albeit this scheme is more secretive, in Romeo and Juliet Friar Lawrence desires for the two lovebirds to be happy and at the same time have the families end their malice towards each other. Once Romeo was banished, Friar Lawrence faked Juliet's death so Romeo can take her away to Mantua. "Take thou this vial, being then in bed, and this distilled liquor drink thou off; when presently through all thy veins shall run a cold and drowsy humor, for no pulse shall keep his native progress, but surcease. . .Then in thy best robes uncovered on the bier thou shalt be borne to that same ancient vault where all the kindred of the Capulets lie. In the mean time, against thou shalt awake . . .and that very night shall Romeo bear thee hence to Mantua." (IV, i, 94-122.). In spite of the fact that the situations in which the false deaths are committed are dissimilar, both plays have faked deaths, which leads to many complications; also both have people trying to bring lovers together. However, although these outcomes were extremely similar, one was good or horrific. Once, when I was five or six, I was read Cinderella and the entire fairy tale was mystical and goody-goody with happy ending. Last year, when I was older, I read the real Cinderella where the word blood appears, and although the ending is still happy, the story is much more tragic than the children's Cinderella. They shared the same story line and same morals and same ideas, but they were each presented in a different way. 


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